When Diplomacy Fails . . . (33 page)

“Jason, keep us secure, I need to watch this.”

“Roger.”

Cady pulled releases and dropped her gear. Two of her team took it. She and Jessie raised hands and carefully stepped through rubble, into the street.

The peacekeeping position was a small-scale fort, with concrete and fill walls two meters high and broad, wire, sensors, observation platforms. One of the buzzing drones circling around dipped low to look at them. Cady kept leading Jessie forward, toward what was officially an “Interaction Point,” where locals could meet for advice, to report incidents, or ask for help. They didn’t often, and Alex had the impression this was actually a first for the unit on shift.

The drone extended a mic for her to talk. Then someone came to the gate, into an entry alcove.

“How are we doing back here?” he asked.

Jason said, “I have a perimeter of Lionel and Bart. Aramis and I have Highland. Elke and Shaman are roving.”

“Threats?”

“I don’t think anyone saw us, or if so, they’re reluctant to enter the building. I’ve got that covered.”

“Good,” he acknowledged. Cady and Jessie had been waiting, and finally someone was coming out in person. Several someones. A squad.

“Troops inbound on foot. Squad strength. Current armor, camo and weapons. Officer accompanying.”

Alex asked, “Are you going out to meet them?”

“If they ask, otherwise I’m right here.”

The squad approached at a light trot. Cady and Jessie had hands on head. They were going to come in, he figured.

“Expect dynamic entry at this location, by friendly forces.”

“Understood. Arms down on my order,” Jason told the others.

He moved farther back, left his carbine slung low, and watched them approach.

They could probably see him by now, despite the brightness differential. The door was large and open for exactly that reason. The first two flanked the opening and poked carbines in. The next pair came in, weapons high, pointed at him, then the others.

Jason said, “Unit, arms down.”

This was a very tense moment. Ripple Creek were all professional. Were all these troops experienced?

Cady led the rest in, arms still up, followed by a sergeant and a captain.

The captain said “You!” and grimaced in distaste.

It was Captain Roye.

“Us,” Alex said.

The standoff between troops and mercenaries lasted fifteen seconds.

“Talk fast,” the captain said.

Alex did so. “There are several threats to the Minister. At least one has hacked her feeds, and at least one is manipulating the opposition. Nothing reported is accurate. We have her here, of her own accord, and have been fighting through factions to keep her safe.”

“Why did you feel the need to fight?”

“Some of them are trying to kill her.”

Roye raised his eyebrows and said, “As I’m informed, most of them are trying to find her.”

Was it possible the signals they’d received had been localized for them only? Possible. If it was narrowcast to a few blocks, there’d be few to receive, or notice, or care, except themselves.

“I can assure you that is not the case in actuality.”

“Well, that’s not my problem. What is now my problem is that you’ve started a massive fight, which is going to require me to fix.”

“If it keeps the Minister safe, we’re available to help.”

Roye did not look happy. “Agent, with respect, every time you try to help, we have another disaster on our hands. I can furnish you a ride back to base, and in fact, I officially suggest so, or you can clear the hell out of my line of fire. Bureaucratic BS following that rescue of your man is why I’m in this tasking now.”

That explained the hideous camo instead of the gray splinter he’d had previously.

He couldn’t fault the man’s position. Given conflicting information, the fact that the difference in their structures and goals had caused problems, and the government’s habit of blaming the officer on scene for everything, it was quite understandable. Nor did he have any idea what he could offer.

Highland said, “Captain, I am here voluntarily now, and I do trust my guards. Any help you can give them is appreciated. I prefer not to return to base just yet.”

Jason shouted, “Contact north!” as fire came through that entrance.

The sergeant repeated, “Contact north!” as a round came his way, and added, “And east! Multiple contacts!”

Aramis and Jason swarmed Highland and pulled her down. Everyone scrabbled for weapons. The troops dove into the building and took positions around the door.

Roye was angry.

“Have you really stirred the natives up to attack a UN position?”

“Sir, it wasn’t us. Really. Someone is playing all of us for power. Highland has supporters, detractors, enemies, people willing to fake attacks for image, possible assassins, disputes with other agencies. She’s somewhat contentious.”

“And this sounds like a paranoid conspiracy theory.”

“It’s not paranoid if they’re actually shooting at you,” he said, just as a burst of something chewed the floor.

“Yeah, we’ll sort it out afterward,” Roye said. “Call for support.”

The sergeant said, “Already did, sir. Advised delay. Other attacks all around.”

“I’d blame you for this,” Roye said. “Except it happens every couple of months.” Then he spoke into his mic. “Understood, and thank you. Grid as shown. We’re two five zero meters from the gate.” He looked up and said, “A vehicle patrol is coming in. We can fall alongside them and through.”

Two hundred and fifty meters. That was the distance to safety, and once there, someone still wanted Highland dead. What had they accomplished other than a runaround?

Well, they’d taken out two BuIntel paramils, and a bunch of her opposition were tied up killing each other. Maybe they’d drawn enough notice.

The two vehicles rolled in in a hurry. One Grumbly, one stretched light truck. The gunner on the Grumbly had a neural inducer and kept sweeping the area around them. Sure, induced pain would stop people, but only those not behind the lightest of cover, or in immediate visual range. The rear truck had a proper gun, but the odds of them being allowed to use it . . .

Not for the first time, Alex felt sorry for the military, hamstrung by all those feelygood regs and not equipped with enough lawyers to fight them.

In the meantime, though, they had another vehicle. They’d spent the better part of a day swapping from foot to vehicles and back.

The trucks slowed in the middle of the street, then guided slowly over to the right.

“Move,” Alex said, and they formed a block around Highland, with Cady’s team around Jessie. He wondered if Jessie knew she was a decoy.

The crossfire was a bit reduced by the neural projector. That reduced threat concerns, but not of random fire. There was enough going on all over . . . the locals seemed aware that the troops couldn’t really do much to them, and flaunted it.

“Got air support, Captain?” he asked.

“We have recon drones to document incidents, so charges can be pressed,” Roye said. “They’ve never caught anyone to press charges against, of course.”

“No combat craft?”

“No. Some drones are armed, though not officially.”

As much as he tried to be apolitical, that’s what he should have expected from this administration. They were the most violent, militaristic pacifists possible.

He wondered if their aerial antagonists planned to avoid the drones, erase records afterward, or just plan on bullshit to evade the issue. Anything was possible.

“How far do we need to get for support?”

“The plan was for them to send a drone chopper. There are problems. So they’re supposed to be sending a live pilot.”

“To meet where?”

Roye said, “That’s a great fucking question, since your troublemaking has made our base untenable. They can’t land with the fire levels coming in, we don’t have enough lethal weapons to secure the area, and now everyone knows where it’s all going down. I’ve suggested a rooftop.”

“Good, which one?”

“The one right above us, but now the UN Aviation Agency is insisting it’s not an approved flight corridor.”

That was ridiculous, petty, bureaucratic and no doubt true. “What, then?”

“We go back and buckle down until they get us.”

Alex had to make a tactical decision fast. They’d be surrounded by troops, which would boost their defensive numbers, but, they’d also be a fixed target. There’d be more incoming fire, and it would be too cute and convenient for someone to lob in a charge, kill Highland and blame any number of local factions and Ripple Creek.

“Go ahead. We’ll relocate and try again.”

“Dammit, contractor, first you call me out, expose my position and divide my forces, now you think you’re going to waltz away?”

Alex shook his head. “Our job is to protect the minister. That is all.”

The captain shrugged. “Well, now we have to manage. How much ammo do you have?”

“We’re pretty much full. We haven’t actually engaged much.”

“Good. I’ll need to redistribute that among the rest of us who do have lethal weapons.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “I don’t fucking think so.”

“Excuse me? I believe I’m the ranking officer here.”

“We’re not military.”

“I have the authority to commandeer what I need for the mission.”

“So do I. I also have an unlimited license to kill people.”

The captain furrowed his brow. “Is that a threat?”

“Yes.”

Elke was moving around behind him. If this got ugly, it would be loud and violent.

Highland snapped, “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You’re not taking my guards’ ammo, like some Social Democratic activist.”

Apparently it was true the different arms of the statists didn’t get along. She was fine taking assets from others. If she needed those assets, though, or thought of a better place for them . . .

What an elitist bitch.

Luckily, she was their elitist bitch for now.

Rowe looked around, making his own summation.

“They told me to stick with Highland. They say they don’t trust you.”

“Hah. Don’t trust us to let her conveniently die. I think they’re actually willing to take us out to get to her.”

Cady said, “They can still use her as a martyr. Massive uprising. If I can figure out how to exploit that, so can they.”

Alex said, “Of course. That lets them play the rebellion against the UN card and move in in force.”

Rowe asked, “But what’s here?”

“Settling room, distraction, factions to play off against each other endlessly. When was the last time the government tried to solve a problem?”

“That’s not true, you know,” Highland said.

He looked at her. “Oh, really?”

“The problem is no one wants to pay the cost of solving the problems. I wanted to make a difference when I started. Then I realized that the only way to get elected was to lie my face off, then juggle things until the next election, betting on short memories to save me. Now that I’m appointed it’s much more dangerous. I have to do what Chief Fuckup wants, regardless of what it might do to my career. In between, occasionally someone gets something done for one of their power blocs, and the whole mess restabilizes like collapsing rubble.”

“You really think that’s what people want?”

“They keep voting for it, so yes.”

He would really have to consider that.

Jason said, “Why do you think anyone with the assets moves to the far colonies? Hell, that’s the whole reason my adopted colony was created.”

“That was one of the huge readjustments,” she said. “Your founding corporations have a lot of assets. They’re now increasingly off Earth and harder to manipulate.”

Jason almost smiled. “Pardon me for liking that, ma’am.”

“Eventually the General Assembly is going to make you share all that wealth.”

He didn’t want to argue politics, though she did need distracted.

“Yeah, well we need to move and fast. We have the military vehicles. I’m taking them.” He looked at Rowe, who shrugged.

“They’ll argue it out afterward. My safest response is to agree to an allied civilian force with the Minister here.”

“And I’ll need whatever ammo you have, and your troops’ guns.”

Rowe gaped.

“I don’t fucking think so.”

Alex snickered. “Interesting turnabout. So, are we going to work together here, or do we leave you sitting? I can move faster than you. Unless you plan to fight us—the locals will love that.”

“We’re going.”

“Your troops must drop their lethal weapons. Now.”

Rowe seethed openly, but he seemed to understand the rule. Frankly, Alex didn’t need them except as bullet stoppers. He turned and pointed. His troops very clearly did not like it at all, but complied. They clutched their nonlethal weapons and looked ready to use them.

“Aramis, where do we go?”

“There’s a substantial bazaar three kilometers west.”

Rowe said, “Yes, we patrol there.”

Alex looked around. “Good place for a handoff?”

Aramis said, “It’s public. Start with that.”

Cady said, “There’ll be lots of witnesses, if we can avoid scaring them. Keep Ms. Highland masked until we’re ready? Then we have instant video attention.”

“I like it. Let’s move. Captain, I would like troops in the rear.” He started walking, and signed for the others to fall in to formation.

“In the rear?” Rowe seemed surprised but gratified.

“This is executive protection. We want not to get in a fight if we can avoid it, and to be discreet.”

“I do not
believe
that
you
are lecturing me on discretion.”

Alex didn’t either.

“There are different levels of discretion. But we may need backup.”

“With nonlethal weapons,” Rowe clarified. Or was he complaining?

He shrugged. “Yeah, it’s fucked up.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but you guys don’t get paid enough.”

“Remember that in three thousand meters.”

Ahead, Bart and Aramis broke trail, Lionel and Marlin flanked, Jason did overwatch, Alex and Cady brought up the rear. Alex could see all that, and Elke helping the two women scarve their faces as they moved. Shaman was nearby and ready. Behind, twenty angry young men were ready to shoot anything that annoyed them, including Alex.